Over the Rainbow
by Mia Grimm
Summary: repost loves!Her eyesight dimmed considerably as her murderer, turned her over.The last thing she ever saw:Two amber eyes
1. Chapter 1

A/N: repost loves …I hope you enjoy…

Kagome's eyes opened wide to rotten velvet. She felt like she was havinmg a major hang over and before dropping a major complaint, a memory shot through her head:

_She was curled up comfortably on the couch with a blanket. She was flipping through the channels listlessly without seeing what was on a channel before changing it. Inuyasha was supposed to be there an hour ago. She sighed restlessly and continued her perusal, ghosts of infomercials and talk shows illuminating her face. She was starting to worry. He was never late….well…never this late. "What if…" her mind started in a worry party but a loud noise at the door interrupted. _

_She immediately shot up, the blanket soundlessly dropping to the floor and the remote not so soundlessly. She dared not move until the noise stopped and all she heard was the TV in the back round. _

_"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore….."_

_The door creaked open. She made a short reconnaissance of the room, only moving her big brown eyes. She then moved as quietly as she could to the door, cursing the tap tap of her heels on the floor. She bit her lip as she reached the door._

_She poked her head out and looked both ways, eyes wide and alert like a kid who just learned "look both ways before you cross the street." _

_She sighed in relief. Nothing. Just the dimly lit hallway of her apartment house. _

_That's when she felt it. Cold metal pushing through her skin. A scream of pain pushed past her closed lips. Instantly, the seconds turned to minutes, no, hours, and churned by, slow and thick. She gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her palms to try to palliate the pain. _

_Silent tears dripped from her eyes, which were squeezed shut. In fact, all her face was screwed in a grimacing countenance. _

_After what felt like an eternity, she heard fabric rip. Her fluttered open lazily from the weight of tears on her lashes to see the point of a sword sticking out right where her heart was._

_Her eye twitched._

_The sword made a greedy sucking sound as it left her body. She immediately let out a haggard breath she didn't even realize she was holding. _

_Her muscles contracted and her eyes watered painfully. She gingerly brought her hand to her wound , which was bleeding profusely. She felt all the warmth in her body ebb away as she brought her bloody fingers in front of her eyes slowly. She disgustedly spread the blood from her fingers to her palm with her thumb slowly, as if savoring it, when it really sickened her._

_This was all the she needed to see to convince herself it was real._

_Her senses numbed, and she felt drained. All she could hear was the TV serenading her departure from this world. _

"Somewhere over the rainbow…" 

_She fell to the floor without catching herself, her limbs aching from the sudden impact._

"…_way up high…"_

_She gasped fro breath painstakingly, but no matter how much air she took in, her lungs would just not take it._

"…_there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby…"_

_She smiled wryly with the last amount of willpower she possessed. "Ironic this song should be playing while…." She had no desire to finish her thought, as much as she knew the end was near._

"…_somewhere over the rainbow_

_skies are blue_

_and the dreams that you dare_

_to dream really do come true…"_

_Her eyesight dimmed considerably as her murderer, turned her over._

_The last thing she ever saw:_

Two amber eyes 

Kagome immediately shot up and her head collided with something hard.

"Shit!", she exclaimed through clenched teeth as she fell back. She massaged her forehead with a trembling hand.

_If it was all a dream? _ she mused and removed her hand shakily from her forehead to where the wound would be if this all wasn't some twisted dream. _I wonder what Freud would say about my dream…_Kagome tried to make light of the situation as she felt around her chest.

She gasped when she hit it. An open wound. Disgusted, she let her hand travel deeper inside and almost threw up when she hit something she was almost sure was her heart.

" Oh…My…God." she took a sharp intake of breath and it whistled through her slumbering lungs. She felt a flutter, and realized it was only in her head. Her hand was still resting above her heart, and it hadn't beat at all.

"I am dead…. aren't I?"

She sighed, scared, her mouth open in disbelief. She needed answers. She needed them now. She moved her hands through her long, tangled hair, but that didn't help anything.

"Ouch," she murmered, hitting a few stubborn knots.

Then she looked up. _I'm dead….so that must mean that I'm in a-a-a. _She reached out gingerly and didn't have to wait a second to touch a wet, cold, sticky substance.

" Yuck," Her hand immediately found its way back to her side, and she franticly rubbed it against her clothes, or at least what was left of them. Kagome blushed. Naked girl in a coffin. It sounded like some twisted joke.

She shook herself from her stupor and looked up one more time, with more wonder. She slowly brought her fingers up until it hit the substance again.

Her eyes widened.

Rotted Velvet.

Now she really needed to get out of here. But how? She remembered distantly about studying for a test on the burial rituals of the Egyptians. They usually buried the bodies with useful goods, such as food and weapons, to enter into the next world. Un fortunately she was NOT in Egypt.

Kagome frantically made a mental list of all she had…she came up with nothing.

_Think…think…think._

Still nothing came. She brought her her hand to her forhead for the second time. That's when it hit her.

" Of course…" she murmured aloud.

She balled her lovely hand into a fist, and began punching her way through the makeshift coffin. She noticed it wasn't of a very good quality, because how else would she have been able to break free of it so easily. While she might have been offended in other circumstances, she was very thankful in this one. She smiled as she felt dirt, and then, cool humid air. She could smell rain.

A breeze blew as she carefully climbed out of her grave.

_Freedom! _She thought as she tossed her head back and smiled. It was too good. Much too good.

She hadn't realized how much she missed the sun, as much as clouds covered it at the moment. The way its rays indirectly affected everyone…

She was off on a distant tangent until she felt a raindrop on her nose. And then another. And another. Soon, sheets of rain were covering her, but she kept her face upturned, enjoying the earth she had departed much too soon.

But soon her eyes snapped open. She was hungry. Yes, she was uncharacteristically hungry for revenge.

_Amber eyes…got me hypnotized…_

Kagome remembered her first kiss with InuYasha. No, Shay. She called him that despite his adamant protest. He cupped her face and leaned in…

But all too soon another image of amber eyes filled her vision, blurry on the edges…the eyes of her assailant…

Kagome broke down. It COULDN'T have been him…nonononononononononono!

She was reduced to a crying mess curled up in a neat little ball of denial. She rocked back and forth. All the love she had for him. The way he looked at her before he was going to argue. His smile. The way his eyes danced. His fangs. How she asked if she could touch them. The way his eyes rolled when he said yes, yes, okay, you silly girl.

The way they pressed against her mouth when they kissed…

Kagome opened her eyes, righteous fury filling her eyes the way gas filled a tank. There was a price to pay. And InuYasha was going to pay dearly.

A/N: SO what do you think? Lemme know 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I've been doing some editing around…I hope its alright now . I was sorta unhappy with it before, but im good with it now :). As always ENJOY!

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Where was a dead girl seeking revenge to go? Kagome giggled a little. This was so surreal. She'd best get to her own apartment though. She shivered a little in the rain. Even though she was dead, that didn't mean that she couldn't feel.

She padded down to her apartment complex. It was of course, two hills away from the cemetery. It bothered her at first, but the rent was cheap, due to the lack of tenants. It was probably for the same reason. Once again, Kagome was thankful for another strange circumstance, which now proved very lucky.

_Well, _Kagome smiled, _I'm having a good afterlife so far._

It wasn't a long walk to the apartment house so she was there in ten minutes time.

She looked up at her old apartment house, which loomed over her. The damned place looked abandoned and unkempt. A breeze blew leaves across the sidewalk. The trees were surprisingly ugly: gray, overgrown and bare. Hedges spewed boughs of mismatched length in all directions making it look like a plant version of Krakatoa. Everything was so different.

She silently walked on, nostalgia taking over her carriage, until she finally made it to the part of her apartment that she hated the most but had the fondest memories of. The ten flights of stair she had to go up to get to her apartment.

After an exhausting day of College, that wasn't what she needed.

But still…the other memories persisted. When she twisted her ankle and Sango belted her into a chair with wheels and tried to gat her down, screaming with each bump and jostle. InuYasha carrying her back up and down. Sliding down the railings. InuYasha insisting on spending the night after a date, feigning exhaustion. The fist time she agreed.

She gulped and reached out for the railing, holding on to it until her knuckles turned a stretched bloodless white. She could do this.

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With much procrastinating due to other memories, she finally made it to her door. She absent-mindedly reached to her side for her purse, which, under normal circumstances, would have held her keys.

She laughed mirthlessly when she didn't find it. Wishing was never enough.

She pushed on the caution tape heavy door.

It creaked open, almost inviting her to come in.

She stepped inside to find it empty and dirty. Everything was left as it was except for the white chalk on the floor, outlining her position when they found her dead body. She kneeled down and traced it lightly with her fingers and grimaced when a splinter got caught in her finger. She brought the offended digit to her mouth when the mental image of Police officers hustling around her small apartment filled her vision.

Her eyed widened.

_Another memory._

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_The lights were on very bright, and paramedics buzzed around her body like bees and the blinding flashes of multiple cameras were going off every few seconds, leaving her dizzy. She shook her head and it was gone. She turned around to see the TV, or at least half of it because a couch was hiding the rest. It sprung to life, as the lights did before, showing the last part of The Wizard of OZ. _

"_No. But it wasn't a dream -- it was a place._

_And you -- and you -- and you -- and you were_

_there…"_

_She spun around to see a police officer questioning Sango, whose eyes were glazed over and distant, staring over the officer's shoulder to Kagome's body in complete shock and sadness._

_Kagomes eyes softened towards her friend. _

_Sango was always the tough girl. Especially ever since her little brother, Kohaku died. She was rock tough. You would never catch her in a vulnerable situation, let alone crying and showing signs of overall hopelessness. Kagome shook her head. This was too much, and all because of her. No, it wasn't her fault it was…_

_No. Don't wanna think about that._

_Kagome turned back around. She couldn't stand seeing Sango like that. She saw two officers at the side of all the activities and got interested. _

"…_What about the boy friend?"_

"_The Inu Yasha guy?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"… _don't know…all we have is that he was in a car crash…"_

"_Your shittin' me?…."_

" _No, its not what your thinking…its was minor, just a few scratches…but…"_

"_But?"_

"_Nevermind…"_

"_Tell me..._

"_No…."_

"_Yes!"_

"_No…."_

"_YES!"_

"_No…"_

"_I'll give you my doughnut tomorrow…"_

_Kagome rolled her eyes. She always thought that doughnuts and officers was an American cliché. She suffered a giggle, and when she thought that a laugh was all she could get out of this conversation she made to leave until…_

" _O.K. I'll tell you…"_

" _I knew the doughnut thing would work….."_

"_SHUT UP! You want to know right?"_

"_Yeah…."_

" _Then shut up so you can actually listen…"_

"…"

" _Ok, so they say the guy crashed about thirty minutes after they predict this girl was attacked right?"_

"…_yeah…"_

"_Don't you see?"_

"…"

"_That could have given the guy plenty of time to escape and crash himself somewhere, automatically taking him off the suspect list…"_

_Kagome's eyes widened in realization._

"…_OH! I SEE!…But wait…he would've had to hide the weapon…that would've taken him awhile…"_

" _He could have planned this and done it real fast…"_

"_Naw…your just messing with yourself…No one could be that that quick…"_

_Kagome shook her head with a smile. "I guess they don't understand the full meaning of the word 'hanyou'."_

"_So…anyways…how are the kids?.."_

"_Alright, Alright. I got one who wants to follow his Daddies footsteps…"_

_Kagome walked away deep in thought. What that police officer said could very well be true. No-it WAS true. Inu-yasha in a car crash? With his super quick reflexes? Kagome didn't think so. _

_She found herself in front of her own dead body. Sango, whom she guessed was all done being questioned, holding the dead Kagomes, cold and lifeless hand. _

_Tears streaked down Sango's face as she said " Kagome…you were one of the few people I let myself get really attached to…besides my brother…and now your both gone!" She sniffed and more tears slipped down her cheeks. And Kagome felt the damn breached. She didn't even realize she was holding back tears until she was crying them out. _

_And the damn TV was till on._

"_Home! And this is my room -- and you're_

_all here! And I'm not going to leave here_

_ever, ever again, because I love you all!_

_And -- Oh, Auntie Em -- there's no place_

_like home!"_

"_This just shows me," Sango sniffed brokenly,her voice as thin as a spider web "I'll just never let anyone get that close again…never…." A broken sob escaped Sango's choked throat and she cried fully now, not holding back anything. _

_Kagome reached for Sango, but all of the sudden, the images from the past blurred and started to clear like smoke. Out of it all, Kagome could only hear Sangos voice saying:_

" _I swear to God this is the last time I cry…God dammit I swear…"_

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The vision cleared, only to be replaced by more and more and more. The funeral. Tall black figures crowded around her coffin. InuYasha wasn't there….

Mirokus deep voice, rich like honey, on the message machine, while Sango was curled up in a ball sitting on her couch with tears steaming down her face.

Sango isolating herself, people leaving the apartment house, Sango celebrating her birthday all alone, Miroku knocking on the door, Sango not answering, Inu Yasha with some other person whom she could recognize but could not put a name to, old flowers being tossed away and being replaced with new ones on her tomb stone which read "Gone but not Forgotten", all of them they repeated and whirled faster and faster, voices, cries, sobs, "why?" in a shaky voice, clear, emotionless, feminine laughter, joined by a males laughter, whirled together to form an ear splitting sound, a dark figure turns and all she can see are two amber eyes, it all swirled together, and wheeled faster, picking up momentum, until it turned into one big great _thing_ that roared, daring her to try and make it stop.

Kagome felt herself scream and kneel on the floor in front of this demon, this past that is hers, and not hers. She screamed for the pain, she screamed for the anger, the confusion, the malice, the whole world which had, in one night, managed to go upside down and just plain wrong.

_But that's why I'm here, isn't it?_ Kagome thought. _To right the wrong that only I can right_.

The Demon roared one last time, albeit weakly, and imploded into nothing. Her drab, dusty apartment came back into view. She shivered and licked her dry lips. Her throat hurt from shouting. She scrambled, trembling, to her room, where she found she still had clothes, and shakily put them on. Still fit like a glove.

But on second thought, she took off her faded jeans and old t-shirt in favor of a dress. She may as well look nice. She took a deep breath and steadied her hands to put on her makeup, using the mirror she'd use every morning. Used to use.

Once she was done, she all but ran out of her apartment. Too many memories.

Kagome didn't know where to start. She could recall countless other times when she was alive that she felt the same way, leaning outside her door, trying to think of a solution. Sango always knew what to do…SANGO!

Kagome smiled. Hopefully Sango still lived in the complex…

She made her way to the middle of the hall and knocked on Sangos the door five times loudly. It used to be Sango's way of knowing it was Kagome. If it was more than five it was probably Miroku. Kagome remembered how he'd always be after Sango, but she'd always resist. Supposedly, anyway. Kagome knew her friend better than that. She wanted just as bad, if not, worse.

"Gimme a sec" a voice much like Sangos called from within the room. Kagome stiffened. She was glad she still lived here, but how would she react?

The door opened with Sango coming out at the door and she just stopped short. Kagome didn't know what she was expecting, but so far Sango seemed to be taking it alright. Her mouth was dropped open, and her eyes kept traveling up and down her person.

"KAGOME!"

_a/n: Ya know the drill…how do I know if you like if you don't review?_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Ahhh..another installment…o yeh and the Inu-clan isn't mine…sadly..o, but if they were! **EVIL CHUCKLE** Thanks to all those who have reviwed..i :HEART: YOU!_

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"KAGOME!"

"Sango…" Kagome all but whispered and reached a pale hand out to her friend, a hopeful shimmer in her big brown eyes.

_Come on, _she thought, _we were friends before, why should this change that_.

The look on Sangos face was a perfect reflection of what Kagome was thinking. Only it was tainted with confusion and small traces of fear. The door slammed shut ungraciously and Kagome snatched her hand back quickly before it could get caught. The sharp sound of the wood-on-wood contact made Kagome jump. It echoed throughout the hall, like a distant gun shot, getting softer with each reverberation until it ceased completely.

A muffled barely audible GO AWAY! Came from behind the door.

Kagome knocked on the door harder, five times, as always, if only to convince her best friend that it was really her.

"Come on Sango! I need help! YOUR help!" There was no answer, but when Kagome put her ear against the door a faint shuffling sound could be heard. She obviously had the brown haired woman's attention.

" Sango, PLEASE!" A broken sob cracked the silence that ensued.

"Sango?" Kagome knocked furiously, worried for her friend, trying the knob, looking like an amateur break in.

"Go…away…" A thin, breaking voice, heavy with sorrow, hit Kagome like a baseball bat to the skull. She'd never heard Sango that broken up before. She could imagine her, again, curled up on the couch, crying, crying, her eyes red and blood shot, refusing to hear, to listen, to _see_.

" Sango, please. We can help each other. I need you, you need me. We can get through this." Then came the clicking sound. Kagome smiled gleefully at the thought of having Sangos much needed advice.

No such thing. It turned out Sango had pulled the bolt, to add in tighter security.

" Sango! I AM SERIOUS!" Kagome shrieked at the door as she punched it repeatedly until she exhausted herself and slid down it. She felt very bad for the door now. It has been through hell in the past few five to ten minutes, being slammed and yelled at, bolted and bruised.

Now she felt alone. _Utterly _alone. It was like a spotlight made of shadows was beating down on her, chilling her skin, her eyes, her thoughts. Sango was all she had left. And now…

Kagome mustered up all her anger and shouted:  
"WELL.THEN! I GUESS WE WERE NEVER THAT GOO DOF FRIENDS ANYHOW, HUH?"

Kagome shook herself. Wow. She took herself by surprise, but all that strain has made her tired, and she was still slumped up against the door. However, she refused to leave. Sango really was all she had right now. Not only that but they were bound by friendship. Four years together. FOUR. That surely can't be erased so easily. Can it?

Kagome sighed. She was waiting for some kind of reaction. A sigh, a swear, a scream, a shout, ANYTHING! Her silent prayers, however, went unanswered for ten minutes. Kagome rested her face on the splintery surface of the door, not really caring about the harsh abrasion against her smooth skin. This door and a year was the only thing in between her and Sango. The raven haired woman sighed sadly. She'd just have to go it alone.

Her body refused to leave though. Actaully it refused to do anything. Those ten minutes seemed like an eternity, where she was too down fallen to do anything. She couldn't get up, couldn't walk away. She stayed propped up against the door like an abandoned ladder, and it seemed she attracted as much notoriety as one too. Not even her best friend.

She just couldn't fit in her head. How could she? The solitary shadow spotlight cooled by degrees. Well…

Kagome was about to get up, when all of the sudden, the door disappeared…WHAT!

Kagome fell over and looked up to see a shivering Sango looking down at her. Her head hurt from falling into a tiled floor.

"Kagome….?…" Sango shakily whispered, looking deep into her honey eyes.

"Yes?" she whispered in response.

Sango opened her mouth to say something but Kagome interrupted.

"I know this is totally ruining the moment, and I love you and all, but um…can you gelp em up?"

Sango looked at her, perplexed for a second, an almost sorrowful confusion marring her beautiful face, until all of the sudden she just started cracking up. Kagome suffered a chuckle, and Sango held out a tan hand to help her best friend up. And stil she was laughing. If Kagoem didn't know any better, she was hysterical.

"Sango?" she ventured, concerned. Sango just shook her head enthusiastically, still giggling madly, and gestured her heartily to come in, come in. Once she closed the door, she slid against it, tears welling in her eyes, holding her belly, as she continued to laugh, a parody of Kagome only a few seconds ago.

"Sango?" Kagome tried again. This time, the brown haired lady stopped and wiped a tear from her dark brown eyes, but they still clung wetly to her lashes. She smiled at her old-no-her ALWAYS best friend and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, Kami!" Sango exclaimed uncharacteristically and all but gathered Kagome into her strong, muscle-toned arms, and squeezed her like a teddy bear. " My best friend!" she exclaimed tearfully, and Kagome felt she was being showered in her buddy's tears, washing away all the prior doubt and depression. Although she would do anything for this woman, and she had done so before, she wasn't quite sure how to take this sudden change in attitude. So Kagome went with her instincts. She hugged Sango back, just as tight, if not tighter, even if it meant she was almost suffocating.

Sango sniffed before she ventured "Where were you all this time?"

There was along pause before Kagome responded, "Dead-half alive?-umm-oh-I don't know!"

Sango pulled back to look her in the face, skepticism evident in her own, and then stroked her affectionately. She then laid a kiss on her cheek and pulled her back into a tight embrace.

"Screw it: I don't care!"

Kagome laughed, tears falling out of her own eyes. Now _this _was the Sango she knew! And missed also. Sango joined her once again in laughter. Best friends reunited. All of the sudden thing were starting to look so much brighter.

Sango pulled out and took her by the hand and led her to the couch.

"Now come in, come in, sit down, my house is your house, as always."

Kagome chuckled at her adament friendliness and did not decline a mug of steaming tea that Sango offered her.

Sango pulled up a chair and sat across from her, an excited light brightening her face, making her look more like the Sango that she new when she was alive. Gone was the Sango, down and barely living, from her flashback in her memories. This was definitely what she needed.

"So…" her friend began, and she felt almost sorry for her. What to talk about?

" Sango," Kagome laid down her mug and straightened up, looking at her friend.

The latter also scooted up in her chair, feeling a long narrative coming on.

And so the tale of Kagome waking up, all her flashbacks, everything, ensued. Sango listened without interrupting, occasionally nodding her head, and making understanding noises, such as "uh-huh' and "mmhhmm."

But when Kagome got to her theory of who killed her, Sango, who also had her own mug of tea, stood up and threw her mug against the wall of her apartment.

Kagome jumped at the harsh glass sound. The tea dripped down the wall, leaving a trail of clear brown down the otherwise impeccable white, and it started to run faster down the wall as Sango began pacing wildly.

" Oh, just wait until I get my hand on that goddamned Hanyou shit!" Sango fumed and started tearing at her hair, and commenced to further reap havoc on her apartment.

Kagome gulped and sat frozen, listening to the muttered chorus of curses strung together, grumbled under her friends labored breath. But she knew she had to do something but what. Kagome wracked her brains.

"Sango!" she shot up and met her friend, grabbing her by the arms, trying to hold her back, even though she was no match for her friends strength.

"Oh, no! He'll get his, just you wait…" Sango continued, until something caught her eyes. Kagome followed her gaze an noticed the door.

_Uh-oh_ Kagome thought, and tried to outrun Sango to the door. This wasn't the right way to go about it. Besides her best friend could go to jail trying to get to Inu-Yasha, and she definitely didn't want that.

"Get out-of-my-WAY-KAGS!" Sango shouted trying to pus past the smaller woman towards the door.

"Wait," Kagome tried to puch back, equally harder, "S-Sango! I-I think that's why I was brought back…Sango!"

Sango let go and Kagome slumped tiredly against the door.

"What?"

"I think that's why I was brought back," Kagome managed to push past her panting lips.

"Huh?" Sango was panting just as hard.

" Ok…" Kagome heaved a tired sigh, "Just give me second-to-to relax.."

Sango looked sheepish and a blush spread across her cheek, over her nose, and to her other cheek, like a bridge.

"Sorry.." she mumbled, abashed.

Kagome smiled, still trying to catch her breath.

"Don't worry about it."

They smiled at each other and made their way back to the sitting area. This time Sango sat next to Kagome on the couch.

"So tell me this again," Sango asked as she patted her friends back, trying to calm her down.

"Oh, yes! Umm…well…after having my flashback at my apartment, you know…the vision…it just kinda, gathered up like this huge wad of bad memories.." Kagome paused, reminiscing, "Until I said 'That's why I was broguth back..to right the wrong only I can right.' And then it all just…Vanished…" Kagome looked staright ahead, her eyes glassy from remembering.

"Poof!" she turned and exclaimed to her friend, making her jump and laugh nervously.

"So I guess…that's what I came back for…" Kagoem settled back down in the couch, very very very tired from the days occurrences. Still she needed to know one more thing. "Will you help me?"

Sangos eyes swam the depths of her own eyes, and they looked straight at eachother, one set of eyes pleading, the other, deciding, weighing, deciding.

Sango smiled and nodded her head.

"Of course…what are friends for?"

Kagome was soo happy that she squeaked gleefully and hugged her friend violently while Sango laughed.

It was good to have a friend.

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Later, after Kagome had washed up ( Sango said she smelled like a morgue, and Kagome answered, "no shit!") they sat down and talked quietly of the past year, what Kagome had missed, anything, besides Inu-Yasha.

But Kagome needed to know.

"Sango," said the latter after a long pause in the conversation, " is there any way that you know of that I can get to Inu-Yasha. Just to kind of…you know…introduce myself."

Sango looked over at her friend seriously, a protective look on her face.

" I do," Kagome brightened, "but..are you sure you want to do this? I mean-"

Kagome covered Sangos hand with her own, loving the warmth and comfort she got form it.

"Sango…I have to…"

"Kags-"

"No really…" Kags returned her friends gaze just as seriously, until Sango looked away and sighed in defeat. Inside Kagome did a WOOT! Of victory, but outside she was just as calm and collected.

"Inu is having some kind of party a week from today…some celebration, I dunno…I have an invitation…I'll give it to you."

Kagome bounced up and down on the couch happily. Revenge was yummy.

"But." Kagome deflated. She hated it when her friend did that. "You have to promise me you'll be careful…and I'll promise you to help you, every step of the way.

Sango smiled sincerely, and Kagome found herself returning the gesture. Sango Pulled her into another hug, probably the thousandth one in the day, but Kagome loved it.

"I'm just happy you're back…things have been so shitty without you…" Sango admitted quietly. Kagome hugged her back.

She was going to avenge not only herself, but her friend too. _This is all Inu-Yashas fault, _she thought as she stroked Sangos hair as she whimpered quietly,_ he's gonna pay real bad. _

"Hey Sango?" Kagome whispered into the long, soft, dark brown hair.

"Yes?"

"Do you still have your samurai sword?"

Snago pulled back and grinned evilly through her tears.

"Are you thinking what I _think_ you're thinking?"

Kagome smiled. Oh, yes, revenge was SWEET!

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_A/N: I really hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it . Constructuve criticism would be nice. I plan on starting another fic after this one . Leave a comment after the beep, yo! **BEEP!**_


	4. Chapter 4 part one of three

A/N: Back again! I actually had the last chapter ready three days before I posted it, but ze stiiii-yuuuu-pid website wouldn't download it 0o…yeeeess…so here's the next installment because I worked on it while trying to get the next chapter to POST! But anywayz here it is.

**Siren of Sorrow: **:blushes: dankies! I don't know why five. I've sort of been taking this story on and off because I wasn't too happy with my writing, so maybe people got tired of checking, and yeah…I don't really blame 'em .

**Lady Everest: **Dankies! . Here's your update! Oh, and to answer your question from the first chapter...well…it's sort of a short term arrangement. So, yeah, her wounds aren't healed, but she won't be walkin' around all dead and such, scaring children and stuff…hehe…not a bad idea though ;P…ehhh….I mean, yuck!  
**Katschan: **Yeah, I had a really hard time writing the whole, "Errr I HATE INU-YASHA" parts of this story…but don't worry…lets just say I'm a fan of happy endings

And without any further achoo! CHAPTER FOUR OF OVER THE RAINBOW!

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"Invitation, Miss?" asked the guard at the front of the fancy club.

Kagome smiled kindly as she blindly reached into her little black purse and reached for her invitation…to find that it wasn't there!

_O shit,_ Kagome thought as she gulped and flashed the guard an apologetic smile to try and assuage his rather obvious annoyance. Then again she had to level with him, because he did have lots of guests to check and verify.

_Yes, this party had quite a turn out_, thought idly, her nerves getting the better of her, for she couldn't find the damned invitation. She continued to paw inside her bag, when the guard rolled his eyes and sauntered coolly towards her.

"Ma'am…" he began, his hand up and ready, as if in battle. However, just then, her fingers brushed a zipper. She quickly, though clumsily, ripped it open and took out the invitation, shoving it in the gaurds face.

_Take that! _Thought Kagome as she watched, with a triumphant smile, a parade of thoughts march across the gruff mans features like an early St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Ever since a week ago, Sango and she had been working up plans on what to do. Kagome was all for training with a sword, but Sango was more concerned with camouflage. And as always, her friend was right.

Her friend was gracious enough, though, to strike a deal. Kagome brightened. Yes! Partial victory!

"Where do you keep your swords, buddy?" Kagome asked hurriedly as she began emptying drawer after drawer, and after finding nothing, going to the next room, and repeating.

Sango leaned on the door frame, an amused smile on her face as she watched her friend slowly but surely trash her apartment.

"Not like that Kagome…"

"What!" Kagome hissed nervously and shot towards Sango. The latter took Kagomes hands in a vice like grip to keep them from continuing the growing destruction.

" Before you handle a sword, you need to develop strength and reflexes…so…you'll stay here doing push ups and crunches while I got out to the drug store downtown to get some hair dye…"

"HAIR DYE!" the lady went hysterical.

"Yes, yes, yes, Kags. Your long pin straight smooth black hair is one of your most defining features. It's what makes you…" Sango gesticulated wildly, "…you!"

"Exactly!" Kags grabbed a fistful of her hair and wrapped it around her face.

A muffled "No!" managed to make itself heard.

"Yes, Kags," Sango stalked towards her friend, and untwisted her hair, holding it in her hand.

"You see this?" she continued angrily at her friends resistance, because she averted her big brown eyes " this could get you CAUGHT, it could get you KILLED, and it wouldn't be a glorious lose. It would be TERRIBLE, just because you refused to change your hair…"

Kagomes eyes widened as she gulped.

"Got it?"

Kagome nodded military like and Sango dropped her hair like as if it were a hot coal.

"I'll cut it too-just in case the hair color isn't enough…" Kagome called after Sango as her friend stormed out of the apartment.

"Just do your push-ups!" Sango called back.

Kagome stared distastefully at the floor like as if it were an old school lunch from the cafeteria. She** hated** it when her friend got into commander mode.

Kagome sighed. This one's for the year I lost.

And she dropped to the floor, thus commencing her training.

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And now she was here, so close and yet so far. The guard seemed to be especially careful in checking her invitation, now that she had it out

_Well, yeah, thanks to the 'suspicious' behaviour_, Kagome thought, as she mentally thwacked herself on the head.

"Pass on Ma'am, have a nice evening…" The guard gave her an appreciative smile as his eyes swept her up and down.

Kagome widened her eyes and scoffed very audibly, a disgusted shiver running up and down her spine like horny ghost fingers. Nonetheless, she passed through the door.

Sango bought the dress a few days ago. Kagome jumped up and down excitedly, her newly cut bronze dyed hair bouncing up and down with her. She looked like a child on Christmas morning, and her grin dilated as she reached for the dress, which was zipped into a black "dress protector."

"No, no, no," Sango said as she mercilessly slapped her friends hand away.

"Bu-but…why not! I mean…" Kagome grappled quickly for an excuse to see it, to _try it on! _" What if it doesn't fit…"

A startled look crossed her friends face, chased by one that was considering the possibilities of said statement being true.

"Exactly!" Kagome milked this for all it was worth, using hand gestures and the like, and this set Sango even deeper into her thoughts, " I mean…yeah!"

Sango nodded slightly.

"No…"

"Wha?…But.."

"No!"

Kagome screwed her face into a frown and kicked around, and when she was done, she gripped her friend by the shoulders.

"WHY NOT! Sango COME ON!"

The former put a solid hand on her friends shoulder and looked her in the eye, seriously. _Uh-oh,_ Kagome thought.

"Because…it's bad luck to see the dress before the day.." Sango patted her friend condescendingly and turned to put in her closet…which was locked with a key, which, not even Kagome knew, was hidden.

"What! But thats only for weddings!" Kagome sputtered angrily after her friend. And what a sight she must have been, waddling angry behind her cool and collect "major", babbling and muttering hotly like Donald Duck.

"Screw it!" Sango replied coolly as she reached her door and promptly slammed it shut in Kagomes face.

"Errr!" was Kags response to that and she stormed off to continue practicing with the sword, for she was strong enough to finally handle something of the sort.

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Kagome smiled sweetly and tried not to look stunned when she was at the top of a very high stair, where she was in full view of everyone. She gulped and willed herself to be smooth and charming. No such thing. She almost twisted her right ankle when a pain shot through her chest. She willed it down with a gruff breath, and continued her way down, where a young man waited to take her purse.

" Arigatou," she smiled warmly as he took her purse told her that she would get it back at the end of the evening according to the number on her invitation. Kagome at least tried to look like she was paying attention, but it was hard to when it hurt to breath, although it did calm her down a bit.

"Have a nice time…" He trailed awkwardly, and blushed as he looked away.

Kagomes gaze lingered on him for a second, confused, but then got it and blushed. She murmured something like "have a good time yourself…" and walked off. _I guess I have something that the guards like…_Kagome shivered as she thought of the hairy man at the front door…_ At least this one was cute_.

She turned with that thought and found that his eyes were unconsciously following her. He came to, though, and looked down while shaking his head, smiling a little as a healthy blush stained his face. Kagome caught his gaze again and winked before turning definitively and walking on in.

She couldn't help but giggle a little, as she brought a carefully manicured hand up to cover her mouth. _Of course, of course, it's always customary to flirt a little before executing_ _a well-planned revenge_. Kagome rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. At least it lightened the mood a bit. She was getting a little tense with the anticipation.

A waiter offered her champagne and she accepted the tall glass, his roaming eyes not lost to her.

"Arigatou…" she tuned her voice to the low voice she had practiced with Sango all week. It was _just_ straddling the fence between rumbling and purring, and it had taken herself a while to get it just right, but the day she did, Sango literally jumped on her, laughing hysterically.

"You are my hero!" she managed in between bouts of laughter, "hahaha…no one could EVER recognize you! AHAHAH!"

Sometimes, during an awkward silence, Kagome would use that voice just to hear Sango clear laughter ring and fill the space of that moment.

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Kagome wheezed as she finally made it to the door of the Womans Bathroom.

_Victory!_ She thought weakly as she stumbled through the door, loosing the whole cool deep act. After returning the glass of champagne to the lascivious waiter, she found that she was being closely observed by a familiar looking woman, but she just couldn't dplace the face to the name…and on her arm was Inu-Yasha, talking to…to…

A sudden pang of interrupted her thought, and it was followed by another, much worse than the last.

_I always thought sequels were bad…_Kagome tried to chuckle, but it came out dry, think, and crackly, like a stale rice cracker. Then came another. She took deep breaths, trying to compose herself, calmly turning and making her way towards the bathroom.

And now she was here.

Kagome threw herself onto the sink for support, an eerily familiar ripping sensation shooting through her chest.

Kagome looked into the mirror, positioned above the sink to check if there was anyone else in the bathroom. Nope, the coast was clear. Then she looked at herself. She looked deathly pale, which wasn't too much of a difference from before, except that this time she looked pasty and sick.

She reached down her lovely, blue sequined corset dress and found her wound bleeding.

"Ugh…" she whined painfully, barely noticing she spoke at all, and reached for a towel. She cleaned herself gingerly.

_It is kinda weird for my wounds to be acting up like this…_

A sudden image of her when she was little crossed her mind. She was very, very small, barely five, and was sitting, cross legged, playing with her dolls, while grandpa-jei recounted one of many of his folktales.

"_They say that when a murderer is near the dead body of their victim, their wounds start to bleed," he said in his old wise voice._

"_Really…but why?", child Kagome asked her grandfather absently as she continued playing with her dolls. She was always good at double tasking, despite her grandfathers complaints of her not listening._

"_Well…ehhh.." her grandfather wrestled for some sort of explanation, "I suppose it is the bodys reaction to being so near to the one who stole its life…well...but…I don't know."_

"_Kagome-chan! Autou-san! Dinner is ready!" her mother called out._

" _I guess we better go eat, ehh?" his grandfather asked rhetorically as he helped Kagome up and they walked hand in hand to the dinner table._

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Kagome sighed happily at the memory. Things were so easy back then…

A woman burst into the room, obviously upset, but stopped short when she saw Kagome breathing heavily, a blood soaked towel gripped in her equally blood soaked hand.

Kagome trained herself back into her alter ego and answered the woman's unasked question.

"You don't want to know, dear…" She drawled and turned back to the mirror.

In the mirror she could see the woman nervously and blankly nod her head, and, having remembered her previous sorrow, and that she came to the restroom to seek solace, gave out a terrible sob, and burst out the door, which she came through.

Kagome rolled her eyes, and stuffed the rags into the trashcan. She opened the faucet and washed her hands clean of her own blood.

Her bleeding wound only confirmed what she always knew was true…

_Inu-Yasha is my killer…_

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Before Kagome left she checked her reflection to see of she looked normal. Yes, yes, she did.

She had to give Sango a gold star for her work on Kagome's look tonight. She chose a bronze red color for Kagome's new color. It was either that or blonde. Kagome stuck her finger in her mouth and made a gagging noise.

"Now, now, no need to be bulimic, you're skinny enough," Sango teased as she brought out an economy sized bottle of Peroxide.

"Ehh…" Kagome, still on the floor from her push ups, and also very sore, crab walked back, a bit scared, " You-you, you know what you're doing, right, Sango-chan?"

"Of course, Maaaaaasteh," said Sango, in a very good impersonatin of the voice of Igor as she reached for her hair and pulled her towards the bathroom.

Somehow the evil laughs that Sango kept producing during the entire ordeal weren't very reassuring. Sango had her blind folded too, while she snipped at her hair. All she could her was the metal grind of the shears against each other and the soft sound of her hair hitting the floor. She chuckled nervously. But Sango did a rally good job. She had it layered, the longest strands reaching the nape of her neck.

She looked very different, indeed. But it was fun, thos whole dressing up, and "creating" an alter-ego. When Sango suggested it, Kagome laughed heartily.

" You know, even though you look different, you still have certain mannerisms…" Sango explained, business-like, pacing around Kagome who was sprawled shamelessly on the couch, exhausted from exercise, " Now, I know you have a very special way of thinking, but-"

"AHAHA!" Kagome gave a good laugh and leaned forward saying, "Alright…let's do this alter-ego thing.."

" I know you think it's silly, but-wait…really?"

"Yes! Let's do this! It'll be fun!"

So they role played for a while, until they found it. The cool, confident, arrogant aloof character.

"Won't they be expecting that though?" Kagome asked nervously, "I mean…that's completely opposite of me! That'll be an obvious-"

"Hon…" Sango said as she leaned forward and caught the black haired woman in a hug, "No ones expecting you to come back…"

So, "Kit", as they liked to call her alter-ego, was born.

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Kagome stepped out and smoothed her dress. It was a very beautiful dress, indeed. And there was no problem with her fitting in it. It was perfect, like a glove. It hung and hugged where it needed to. Sango insisted she put it on before they did make up and hair, lest they mess up hours of good, hard work.

Sango set to work, first cleaning her face, then patting a light foundation, followed by powder. She did so incredibly carefully, like as if Kagome was a china doll, very carefully, like as if she would break if she pushed or pulled too hard.

Sango reached for a brush and combed her hair thoroughly taking hair to smooth out any knots, and a few snips here and there to touch it up. Then she reached for two sparkly dark blue chopsticks.

"No, no, I can't, they're your favorite…" Kagome protested as she had them poised in her mouth as she twisted Kagomes hair, careful to leave some strands down sop she could curl them later. She stuck them in her hair and said:

"Consider them a good luck charm…they never let me down…" She said as she sprayed Kagomes hair wih hair spray and took a step to examine her progress.

"Wow, Kags! You look…wow…"

"Thjanks to you buddy, Kagome smiled at her friends reflection in the mirror and then turned to face her.

"I couldn't have done this without you…" Kagome started as she held her hand..

"Oh, you!" Sango exclaimed bashfully, still playful, and was going to start working on Kagome again.

"No…seriously, " Sango returned her stern gaze, " I mean it…you've helped me so much…and now…I feel like I should help you too…"

Kagome got up and held her friend by the shoulders looking her deeply in the eyes.

"You don't need to shut yourself up here just because Kohaku and I-"

Sango pulled her down back onto her chair and said, " We should continue or else you're gonna be late…."

Her friend was all of the sudden very interested in the label on the hair spray and Kagome sighed dejectedly at her reflection…

_This isn't the end of it…_Thought Kagome as Sango continued with her hair. The two lucky chopsticks held her hair up in a messy, but elegant, bun.

Sango smiled and said, "I'm a amazing!" and continued on to finish Kagome's makeup.

Kagome laughed and added, "Very modest too.." and her friend proceeded to thwack her on the head.

By the time she was done there was only half an hour left till the party. Kagome blinked her black lined eyes nervously, and pursed her pink colored lips. While she waited for Sango to bring out a Samurai sword.

Instead Sango brought out two small, dagger like objects.

"What? Inu-Yasha will slice me up!…"

"No, trust me Kags. You have an advantage with these, and it takes more strength to be able to maneuver them. And you're ready. Besides, don't tell me you have any oom in that slim fitting dress for a samurai sword?"

Kagome smiled and pulled her friend into a hug.

"Thanks again…for everything…"

"Oh, come on! What are friends for."

Sango handed her a black purse with the invitation in it.

"Go get 'em, Tiger," Sango beamed encouragingly as she saw Kagome out.

Kagome looked back to flash one more smile and was off.

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_A/N: That's part one! The next part weill be up in a few hours. This chapter is three parts long! Imma gonna makethem extra long cuz I'll be in Mexico visiting family for two weeks…ahhhh…imagining good REAL Mexican food and sunny afternoons filled with hammocks and fresh fruit… Anywayz, yesm, I'll be posting up more. I could have put it all up in one chapter, but it seems a little bit too much. But don't worry. It's just begun, **wink wink**. _


	5. chapter four part two of three

_A/N: Part two of three. WEEE! This is really really exciting…just a warning…PLOT TWIST! I mean…:whistles innocently:_

**Katsuchan: hehehe :grins evill:**

I now present Part 2 of 3 of Chapter four!

ENJOY!

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Sesshoumaru blinked stoically as he noticed, after taking a long sip from his shot glass, that it was empty. He stared at the bottom, blinking, slightly surprised.

_No matter, _he thought, as he tossed it aside, not caring about the sharp racket it made, even though it reached his sensitive ears 20 times stronger than anyone else at the bar. _It wasn't like as if it was having any effect on me…_

He pushed his way past the foul smelling crowd. Humans EVERYWHERE! And if he couldn't see them, he could smell them, their scent invading his nose. He only loved one human…come to think of it she was probably the only thing he ever loved…

_Rin_…he thought, and all of the sudden he could see her before him, her big brown eyes, her melodious voice, calling to him, her thin arms open, ready to receive him.

_No…_he thought as the image vanished into thin air. Now he was left facing the old, slimy brick wall of an alleyway. _Hmmm…_he thought groggily, and kept on walking, the alleyway leading to another endless street, which connected to another, and then another. He was just a drifter, a wanderer. He always was. He was only fooling himself when he married Rin. Only fooling himself when he let himself dream of children, and maybe even having a more or less civil relationship with his brother, Inu-Yasha, maybe even extend that to his wench.

Yes, images of family outings, children, and reunions careened through his blind mind, and he foolishly chased after it, like a kid chasing after an ice cream truck.

It was all an impossible dream, and Naraku's call one evening had been a nasty reality trip.

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"_Rin? RIN! I'm home!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed as he barely made it past the door, due to the alarming amount of suitcases and jackets bunched up in his arms. He took an office job, and was slowly, but surely, making it towards the top. But such improvements in his job required much improvement in his look and accessories, so Rin suggested a shopping trip. She chose all his ties and suits, enough to have them literally covered in plastic shopping bags._

"_Oh! A suitcase!" Sesh remembered, and he turned back to Rin as they made their way into the car._

"_Rin! I forgot to get a suitcase! I don't want to be hauling around the old messenger bag like some delivery boy.."_

_Rin smiled as she opened the trunk of the car, and he was about to explain to her again, rolling her eyes, when he saw it. It was a beautiful suitcase…or at least as beautiful as his suitcase could be. The point was that Rin got it when he took the job, because she knew he'd need it at some point._

"_I knew you'd be needing it…you're so good at everything…" Rin smiled again as she touched his face. He leaned in and kissed her, leaning his forehead against hers._

"_Thanks," he whispered against her lips, and she grinned toothily and rubbed her nose against his._

"_You're, welcome, love…"_

_Ever since then, he'd been using his new clothes faithfully, even if they were heavy. Due to his youkai senses, the fabric was a bit scratchy against his sensitive skin. Rin suggested he take off his trench coat and suit jacket before driving home. He did as she suggested, and of course, it worked._

_Before his office job, he worked as a hit man. He didn't have a boss, so he sort of worked for himself. He was a lone wolf, a wanderer, and took jobs to his choosing, making terms and payments to his own accord. More than once Naraku required his services. He was a big business man, and when things got out of hand with other companies threatening to take him over, or, they just happened to fall into the Monopolizes bad graces, he called on Sesshoumaru. _

_One of his assignments, coincidently, is what led to him meeting Rin. She was at the scene of the killing. He just leaned over his victim to check, as always, that he had done his job, because no matter what he did, he was an impeccable perfectionist, when he felt someones gaze on his back. He sniffed and the perfume of lilies and lilacs filled his nose, with the slight smell of human._

_Strangely enough, he disregarded the humanly smell of his viewer, and turned to meet a wide brown gaze. _

_She must have been a secretary or something, because she had files under her arm, which dropped when he met her gaze. Her small, pink mouth dropped open, to reveal, pearly, white teeth. In fact, she was a smallish woman, skinny, and when he might have scoffed at any other underfed fed bitch that he'd cross paths with, he found, strangely enough, rather attractive._

_They stood there, a dead body in between them, staring at each other for a long time. He finally turned and opened a window, making to jump and escape when he heard something he thought sounded like "take me with you."_

_He craned his neck back, clutching the window frame._

"_Excuse me?" _

"_Take me with you!" Rin said, as she haphazardly ran over the files and her bosses body on her stilettos. Small, fairy feet steps. Light and graceful._

"_But…madam…" Madame! He thought an corrected himself, "wench, you don't know me…you should be terrified! I just killed you boss."_

_The lady looked down, obviously ashamed, her head bobbing confusedly._

"_I know…" she said finally meeting his eyes with hers again, sending shocks down her body, " My boss was so good to me…he helped me work to get myself back on my feet when my parents die…I was barely in highschool! He looked upon me like a daughter…"_

_Her gaze trailed over to the mans desk, where, sure enough, next to pictures of people whom he suspected were his family, was a picture of Rin, smiling, the delight reaching her eyes._

_She turned back to him and said "see? I should be furious!" Rin puched towards him, poking him " I should take this chance while you're distracted to push you out the window!"_

_Sesshoumaru involuntarily shivered at the woman's sudden rage and made to leave, until her small hand, warm and soft, touched his shoulder. Yes, he could feel her touch through his blouse. _

"_But I'm not…sir, I can't explain this," she shook her head lowly, " I don't even know your name…but I know that I want to be wherever you are…even just as an assistant…a servant. What-no! I take that back...argh!"_

_Sesshoumaru watched the creature, amused at her confusion, but she seemed likeable enough. This fact meant a lot considering who he was, and his usual social tendencies…or lack thereof._

"_Yes…you may come with me…"_

_And so he swooped Rin into his arms, and she let out a surprise yelp. Whether it was because he took her suddenly or the fact that he was jumping out the window, he didn't know. But the fact of the matter was that they'd been together ever since. _

_But throughout the years, their relationship had changed. At first, he let her tagalong as a sort of amusement. Then the amusement lead to curiosity. They'd talk for hours about everything and anything. Mostly their childhood, which Sesshoumaru had never talked to anyone about, not even his little brother. About his mothers death, and his annoying little brother, his father. Growing up a demon. _

_Rin always listened, intrigued, and asked questions. Then that would lead to him asking her questions. She was a normal enough girl, except for one very defining trait which drew Sesshoumaru ever closer too her._

_It was her optimism. Her never ending happiness, no matter the death of her parents, her need to work, the death of her boss who was like a parent to her, or being at the mercy of a hit-man demon. She always smiled and laughed._

_One day, she actually hugged Sesshoumaru before he went on an assignment. _

"_Be careful," she whispered, his ears twitching at her soft voice, " Do the right thing…"_

_She kissed him on the cheek, and gave him a long look before disappearing, not without turning back to flash him an encouraging smile._

"_The wench is messing with my head…" he thought derisively, but what was more, he found that he didn't really mind. _

_He returned the money from his hirer, and refused to kill anyone else. He went back to Rin and told her. She grinned, open mouthed, her teeth showing, as he held her up and spun her around, an uncharacteristic show off affection._

_When he returned her to the ground, he hadn't relinquished his grip on her waist. She looked at him curiously, and he brought her face close to his, examining her eyes._

"_Do you want this?" the look asked._

"_Yes…" hers seemed to answer and she closed the distance herself, fastening her lips on Sesshoumarus._

_That's when he started taking up a job, and she did too. Between the two of them they got enough to get a house. They were happy for a long time, just living together. She cried when he presented her a ring._

"_Marry me Rin…" Sesshoumaru gruffly stated more than asked, but she knew well enough that he was nervous. _

"_Yes! Of course!"_

_And that's when he went out of control. Before, he never would have allowed himself to get so attached to someone, much less a human girl. But he did, and they became bound by marriage. He kept Tenseiga, his usual assassin weapon, in a closet in a back room, and they continued life as if everything was normal. And it was for a long time…until Naraku called._

_Sesshoumaru sighed as he picked up the phone, thinking it was Inu-Yasha, probably to curse him out about his invitation to a picnic that very weekend._

"_Moshi, Moshi?" He inquired into the phone as he dropped his work stuff in a heap on the floor before. He could pick it up later after a long verbal fight with his dear little brother. _

"_Hello, Sesshoumaru…" a cool, cultured voice answered. Sesshoumaru stepped back in shock. That voice-it wasn't at all what he was expecting. Sesshoumaru was surprised, and if there was one thing that could be said about the demon, it was that he didn't like surprises. Well…besides Rin…and the whole suitcase thing…and…_

_Sesshoumaru shook himself out of his thoughts and prompted his voice to recover from its shock._

"_Hello, Naraku…I could say that I've been expecting your call, but I haven't, or that I'm happy to talk to you, but I'm not…"_

"_Ah, gruff as ever. Do you not tire of being so stoic?"_

_Sesshoumaru answered with a silence that implied that he didn't want to beat around the bush. He just wanted to hear what Naraku had to say, and then leave it at that._

"_Actually…I've been meaning to ask you a favor…I mean…for your services…"_

"_I already have a job, Thank you," Sesshoumaru interrupted him without grace._

"_Why-What manners! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to interrupt? Oh-yes-I forgot…she died before she could teach you…"_

_Sesshoumaru growled into the receiver. His mother was a touchy subject that he only discussed with Rin, and she knew it was a touchy subject, so she rarely brought it up. But now that Naraku, who had no right…_

"_Ah, I see I have finally hooked your attention…"_

_Sesshoumaru grunted noncommittally and walked with the cordless phone into the kitchen. He was dying of thirst. _

" _You see, I already know you have a job…so I did some research. And I have to congratulate you, Sesshoumaru, you are more than proefficient in your job. In a year or two, you'd be able to make it to Vice Pres, and then in months you'd be the leader. However…"_

_Naraku trailed off, and Sesshoumaru knew the man was one for theatrics-dramatic pauses and such. But when more then two minutes passed Sesshoumaru was at his wits end._

"_However?" he growled out, before taking a sip of the glass of water he served himself._

"_I can pay you more…if, and only if you return to your former job, and work for me…permanently…"_

_Sesshoumaru screwed his face, confused._

"_No thank you, Naraku. I'm doing more than good in the job and life I have right now."_

_The man on the other side of the line sighed._

"_I was afraid you would say that…"_

"_Finally," thought Sesshoumaru, "the end on this conversation…"_

"_I have Rin, Sesshoumaru…"_

_The latter saw red._

"_WHAT!"_

"_Yes, she is here with me right now…would you like to speak to her?"_

_:ROAR:_

"_I'll take that as a yes…" said the smooth voiced man. Sesshoumaru listened closely and heard a few murmurs, and finally the whimpers of a woman, which he could only guess were Rins. _

"_Rin!" he exclaimed, on an edge…if they did anything to her…_

"_Sessh?"_

"_Oh, Rin! What have they done to you? Where are you? Are you hurt?"_

"_Ahhh, it is you," Rins voice exclaimed happily amid tears._

"_Rin? RIN! You need to tell me where you are!"_

"_Sessh…I love you…I've always loved you, since I saw you that day…"_

"_Rin, I love you too, and-em- ditto, but you need to tell me where you are so that I can get you…"_

"_Sessh…I'm-I…"_

_Rins voice was blocked out by a beep and Sesshoumaru noticed that he was on speakerphone. He strained his ears to hear more, and stiffened when he heard the crack of a whip and the soft cry of his wife, his love. Anger diffused in his veins, in his blood, and he felt himself growl until it became a determined and angrily loud roar._

"_Ahahaha…I take it you know what we're doing to her, eh?"_

" _I will kill you, if you do not stop…"_

_When Naraku spoke again he sounded frustrated and angry._

"_No, no! I call the shots here, Sesshoumaru, because you are the one at a disadvantage…I have what you hold most dear, and you have no idea where I have hidden her. The longer your machismo persists, the more whips you are earning her…"_

_Almost as if on cue a resounding crack filled the air, and a pained scream._

" _Alright, alright, alright," Sesshoumaru conceded angrily, frustrated that he had no other choice, "what do I do to be able to free her."_

"_Ah, and I thought you would never ask…" Sesshoumaru decided he would ring the mans neck with his own hands, " You will work for me, and only me. You will be my assassin. I will pay you handsomely, and you will get a steady salary every month, no matter if you have or have not taken an assignment…"_

"_Don't do it SESSH! OUCH!" came Rins voice in the backround._

"_I'll do it, Naraku. Just let my wife go."_

"_NO SESH! I'm fine, really-AAAAAAHHHHHH!" a scream tore through her lips, interrupting her protests. _

"_Do you promise, Sesshoumaru?"_

"_Yes, yes, yes,just… please…stop hurting her…"_

" _Yes, just…do you promise on your soul? You shall work for me, and only me?"_

"_SESH! NOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"_

_Sesshoumaru was torn in between his wife's request and his need to stop her pain. He'd do anything at this point. If only he realized what he was in for…_

"_Yes, I swear, on my soul, Kami strike me down if I break my promise…"_

"_NOOO! Oh Sesh…what have you done?" his wifes wimpers filled the silence and his pupils returned to their normal size. He didn't even noticed that they had dilated._

"_Hmm…I don't like your wife's radical ideas, Sesshouamru…she's what originally got you give up your profession, is that not so…"_

_Sesshoumaru gaped, realizing where this was going…_

"_You promised you wouldn't hurt her…"_

"_Yes, but you noticed that I didn't swear on anything?"_

_Sesshoumarus amber eyes widened and he felt his stomach turn while he heard Narakus laughter ring madly in his ears._

"_Kukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukuku!"_

"_Would you like me to get you a sword?" came an additional voice from the other line._

"_Yes, Kagura, thank you…"_

"_NOOOOOOO! NOOO! I WILL KILL YOU!"_

"_Oh, but Sesshoumaru…you gave me your soul…you are mine now…and I do not want a pathetic little wench to get in the way of that…"_

"_Here is the sword, master."_

"_Thank you, Kagura."_

"_RIIINNN!" he called out, and realized that he still on speaker phone. Oh god, that meant that he'd hear his wife die, and scream for him, while he sat at home like a big pathetic puppy._

" _Sessh…sessh…I-I love you—an-a-and…th-thi-this isn't your fault…I love you…do-d-do the right thing…"_

_And then a scream, the one that would fill his nightmares for the rest of his life, followed by the squelching sound he recognized well from his former job: the unforgiving thrust of a sword into a resisting body. _

"_NOOOOOOO!" Sesshoumaru howled. He ended up disturbing the entire block, and had to move out. Not that there was anything left for him in that house. It was too painful. It smelled like Rin…_

"_I'll see you tomorrow, eight sharp, in my office…I presume you remember where it is?" Narakus voice cut in between his pain smoothly, like a knife through butter. T hurt all the same._

_Sesshoumaru nodded dumbly, not caring that Naraku couldn't see him. He just wanted to hang up the damned phone._

"_Well then, I-"_

_And the line was cut, Sesshoumaru looked down to see what happened when he noticed that he had the receiver in a death grip. What was left of it was still clenched into his palm. He released it, shaking, and it hit the floor with a loud thud. He shivered, and tried to hold back tears, but failed, and he choked them out, his sobs sounding rusty and detuned, because truth be told, he had never cried before. _

"_RIIIIIIINNN!" he shouted up into the ceiling, and stormed through the apartment, taking out his anger on it. He ripped all their pictures, everything, until there was nothing left._

_Sesshoumaru looked around to survey his work, a habit he had never been able to stop once started, and stormed out, leaving his old, dreamy, fairy tale life behind. Then he realized he forgot Tensiega, and he stormed back, unlocked the closet it was stowed away in, dusted it off, gave one last growl, and this time, stormed away forever. _

_He would forget the toothy grins, the kind, twinkling, brown eyes that had a habit of brimming with happy tears. He would forget the smell of Lillies and lilacs, the soft, small arms that would encircle him every chance they got. He would forget the smooth lips that could make him smile, laugh, frown, and kiss. He would forget the petite body with long flowing hair, and all the sentiments that came with it…_

_He spent the night at a Hotel, not getting a wink of sleep. Instead he sat on the bed, back ramrod straight, still hearing Narakus insane laugh and Rins screams._

_But he promised his soul to Naraku. And whether he loked it or not, he had to honor their pact._

"_Even though I lost, more than gained anything…" Sesshoumarus thoughts trailed off as he spotted the mini bar._

_He pushed himself on the bed and was in front of it in a flash. He picked up a tiny bottle and sniffed it experimentally._

"_Disgusting…" he grunted to himself. He half expected Rins giggle to spring out and exclaim that it was an acquired taste. _

_Instead silence._

_He opened the bottle and nodded as he took a long gulp._

"_This ones for Rin," he thought._

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So he always showed up at Narakus office eight o'clock sharp, and in his free time nourished his drinking habit. He almost never got really drunk, but just the fact that it let him some release…he'd never felt that way before except for when he'd talk to Rin.

Although he was sure the young woman he loved wouldn't have been happy, had she learned that she was replaced with a bottle of liquor, he continued, using his sorrow as an excuse. But soon it became an obsession.

That's when, five years after being hired, Sesshoumaru got THE assignment.

Kill Higurashi Kagome. Wasn't that Inu-Yashas wench? In the file was a full report on her, including where she usually went, who she spent time with. He wasn't surprised when he saw is brothers name on that list.

He, however, didn't want to do this. It resembled what Naraku did to him too much for his taste. But he'd promised his soul.

So he took one last swig from his bottle and set out to contact his brother.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

"_Sesshoumaru?" Inu-Yasha said, confused as he opened the door to his house. His brother's stern amber gaze took in his skinny form and the black circles under his eyes._

"_Are you alright?"_

_Sesshoumaru growled._

"_I didn't come here for help, half-breed" he grounded out. _

_Inu-Yashas features immediately snapped back into his defensive mode._

"_Alright, then what for, rat shit?"_

_Ahh, yes. Inu-Yashas old pet name for his older brother._

"_I thought that perhaps we can get together this weekend…you know…catch up on life…"_

"_oh…" Inu-Yasha seemed surprised at his brothers sudden burst of civility, "alright…just not this Saturday…I have an important date with Kagome…"_

"_Perfect," thought Sesshoumaru._

"_Alright, Sunday it is…" and he immediately stepped away and walked off._

"_Wait! Where do we meet, you dumb-ass?"_

"_I'll come here…" Sesshoumaru called back without turning to face his brother._

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Saturday night, Sesshoumaru contemplated his assignment over a bottle of Tequila. He didn't like the drink too much, but the whiskey seemed to have a pacifying effect on his nerves. Even the burn as it went down his throat calmed him down.

His assignment: Kill Higurashi, make Inu-Yasha look suspicious.

The clock read seven.

_Show time, _Sesshoumaru thought distinctly as he ran, using his youkai speed, to where his victim was. Higurashi's apartment complex.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

_He heard his prey from outside the door, waiting for Inu-Yasha while watching TV. Sesshoumaru tried to look for some loophole ever since he'd gotten the assignment to make the outcome less damaging. All he could come up with was to get his little brother in a car crash a good half hour before the killing, so as to make him look a little suspicious, but not entirely guilty. Naraku never specified the degree of suspicion needed. _

_Unfortunately for his wench, he couldn't find any loophole that could save her life. The instruction stated clearly to kill her. There was no way getting around it._

_When he arrived to her apartment, he realized that he needed to get his brother into some sort of accident. _

_"Great…how do I do that!" Sesshoumaru thought as he ran up the street that Inu-Yasha always took to get to his lovers apartment. That's when a set of head lights came into his view and before he could stop, the car veered off the road and hit a tree. It didn't look pretty._

_Sesshoumaru hissed through his teeth as he stalked guiltily towards the steaming car._

_"Just what I need," he thought bitterly, " more blood on my hands…"_

_When he approached he noticed it was his brother on the wheel. Perfect! If Sesshoumaru was lucky, Inu-Yasha isn't exactly see what came at him on the road. Sesshoumaru was running pretty fast. Then, his brother is off the suspect list…but as for his wench._

_He ran back top speed._

_"I need to finish the job…"_

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

And there he was…waiting outside the door for the right moment. She needed a reason to come to the door. Some noise, some-AHA!

Sesshoumaru pounded on the door irreverently and jumped up into the rafters of the apartment. In record time, the wench came out.

The youkai felt his heart contract. She reminded him of Rin, except more clumsy, and bigger. But they had the same big, innocent doe brown eyes.

He sighed to himself. He hated to do this.

She wandered out of the apartment and checked outside.

_And she's more stupid too, _the demon thought as he crawled, via the ceiling, into the wenches apartment.

She came back in, and proceeded to check everything. He could feel her shiver, taste her fear. He sickeningly recognized that he was getting a much needed power trip out of this. For once since Rins death, he felt in control.

That's when he did it. He jumped down and stabbed Higurashi in the back with Tensiega.

She gasped, and screamed hollowly, collapsing onto the floor. He felt sickened when he felt it go through her heart, and finally, out the other end. He immediately pulled his sword out and watched the life drain out of his victim.

Meanwhile the T.V hummed some annoying tune. She cried some then finally stiffened.

Not resisting his old habit, he turned her over, and her eyes were instantly locked onto his own amber eyes.

Then, the wenches eyes faded and dimmed into nothing. He sniffed, and sheathed his sword. Now he really wished he hadn't done this…

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Sesshoumaru frequently had nightmares about a woman being stabbed by a sword, but her face would alternate from Rins to Higurashis. He figured it was because of his guilt of not being able to save either woman, who had important places in the life of his brother and his own.

That was all he let himself think of the matter. What was done was done. The fact that Inu-Yasha was only slightly suspicious had no effect on Naraku. He was happy as a clam.

Sesshoumaru went out to his favorite bar the next day. He ordered another tequila, trying to push down the guilt.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

A year later and he still stalked the streets, getting drinks, never having a permanent home. He moved. It was all he could do to forget about them. The two women he killed. One with his promise, and one with his own hand.

But something stirred within him. Higurashi.

He dreamt that she came back. But how could she? No. It was a silly dream.

Sesshoumaru looked up into the sky before looking back down, contemplating his bottle of whiskey.

_This one's for Rin…_He thought as he swallowed the entire bottle in one big greedy gulp.

_If Higurashi is back…I will help her…I promise on Rins soul and my own_…" and with that he settled down on the deserted hill he had chosen to camp on into a deep and dreamless sleep.

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_A/N: **pheuf!** That was haaarrrrddd and looooong to write…wow…well…MWAH TO THOSE WHO REVIEW!_


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